Boiler-tube cleaner



@xmms H. M. vAmAN. BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l5, 1915.

1,375,123-, Patented Apr. 19,1921.

2 SHEETS- SHEET l.

` t "251g WW /Wwmwff H. M. VARIAN.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPLlcATloN FILED 11.111.151 1915.

1,375,123. Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- iflllllllllllll/A www@ www /Z Van/azz UNITED STW-"1Sy PATENT .OFFICE j HOWARD M. vARrAN, oF-nnrnorr, MICHIGAN..

:BOITIER-TUBE CLEANER.

To all/whom t may concern." l

Be it Vknown that I, HOWARD M. VARIAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at`Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and State of Michi0'an,have invented certain new and useful fmprovements in Boiler- Tube -Cleaners, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein vto the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to boiler tube clean"- ers of that type in which a series of jet nozzles on a common header is moved successively into registration with different rows of tubes. i 1

It is the object of the invention, first, to obtain a construction applicable to boilers in which the smoke box is divided by partitions into a plurality of compartments of varying sizes, and in which the tubes connecting with different compartments may be simultaneously cleaned. It is a further object to adapt the construction for use in connection with the battery of boilers, the tubes of all of which are simultaneously cleaned; further to .provide for the simultaneous cleaning of transversely-extending tubes; and further to obtain various advantageous features as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: Y

Figure l is a section through the smoke boxes of adjacent boilers to which my cleaner is applied; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section.

A and A are the smoke boxes of adjacent boilers arranged in a battery, and B are the tubes connecting in to said smoke boxes. The smoke boxes are divided by partitions C' into a plurality of compartments D E F, the center compartment E being of Greater depth than the side compartments.

are air-heating tubes extending through the smoke box above the tubes B and transversely thereof.

To simultaneously clean the tubes in the various compartments of the several boilers, I have arranged within each smoke box al header H, which extends through the partitions C and across each of the compartments D E F. In each of the compartments there is connected to this header a transversely-extending pipe corresponding in length to the rows of tubes, and in the spey cie construction shown there are two pipes I and J in each of the outer compartments D and F, and a single pipe K in the center compartment E. The reason for this ar- Specication of Letters Patent.v Ptented A191', 19, 192L- Application leid March 15, 1915. vSerial'110,111,530.

yrangement is that the pipes I J K aredesigned to be-successively registered with vertical rows vof tubes B by the longitudinal movement of the header H, and as there 4are a lesser number of rows in the center compartment than in the side compartments, a single pipe in the latter could not be registered with all of the tubes. However, by placing two or more pipes inthe wider compartments, suitably spacedv from each other, a movement of the headersulicient for covering the tubes in the narrow compartment will also be suflicient for the'tubes of the outer compartments.

` Each of the 'pipes' IJ K is providedl'with jet nozzles M spaced to register with the tubes in each row. When steam is discharged from these jets there will be a rearward thrust, and therefore to hold the pipes from rearward movement a guide L is provided. This, as shown, is arranged to engage the center pipe K, which is of greater length than the pipes in the side compartments, and as shown the guide is formed of an angle bar extending across between the opposite sides of the chamber. The header H, as shown, is not in the plane of the pipes I J K, but is arranged in front thereof, and

is connected to said pipes by horizontallyextending pipes N. These are also provided with jet nozzles `O which are directed upward, so that the jets will impinge against the transversely-extending air-heating tubes G. The whole movable structure is supported preferably upon longitudinal guide rods P, upon which the horizontal pipes N rest, while at the rear there is arranged a series of hooked supports Q, which coperate with the guides L in resisting rearward thrust. R is the steam conduit for supplying steam to the header H. Sand S are swinging` conduits connected to the conduit R and together forming a flexible connection, permitttingqthe independent movement of the header For operating the headers H there is arranged in the space adjacent intermediate boilers a connecting rack T, which is in mesh with a pinion U actuated by a pulley V and connecting chains V. The rack-bar T passes through the air conduit W which communicates with the air-heating tubes, and to prevent leakage of air tubes W are connected into said conduit and form a housing for the rack-bar. The steam pipe R in each boileris controlled by the valve X,

and these valves are arranged outside of the boilers in position for convenient operation.

With the construction as ldescribed in operation7 whenever it is desired to clean the tubes it is only necessary to open the valves X, and then to successively adjust the head-V ers H longitudinall. by means of thel chain pulley V, pulley i; and pinion and rack connection. This movement' will successively register the jet nozzles of the pipes l J K with the different vertical rows of tubes in all of the boilers, so that the cleaning operation can be quickly and effectively performed. At the same time the upwardlydirected jets in the horizontal pipes N will clean the transversely-eXtending airfheating tubes G.

' j As the upper horizontal rows of tubes are of lesser width than the lower rows, and as the outer wall of the smoke boX is correspondingly inclined, the outer pipesl are preferably of the bent form shown. Thus the inclined portion of the pipe l will permit said pipe to be moved adjacentv to the outer wall of the smolevboxdwithout interference therewith, The structure is strengthened by conneetin-gibrace rods Y, which attach this ,bent pipe to the adjacent ypipe J.

Y Y lWhat Iclaim as my invention 1s The combination with av battery of boilers each :having a smoke boX andtubes opening thereinto, ofiue cleaners in said smoke boxes having headers in alinement with each other, an operating connection for said head1- ers arranged in the space between boilers and including a rack-bar connecting said headers, an air conduit at the Side of -the Y boiler through whichsaid rack-bar; passes,

and a tubular housing for said rack-bar in said air conduit, to prevent leakage of JAMES P. BARRY, ARTHUR D; PULVER.. 

